Changing from upc analog to 60pm bundle with 4 tv points?

joconnell

Heya Folks!

I'm looking at switching my folks from their 42 quid a month and roughly 30 quid a month for their analog NTL. So UPC's 60 quid a month bundle seems great with the 5 euro add on for any time calls, and it also gives free broadband into the house. The only and main concern to my folks is access points. They've got three phone points in the house, and also 4 potential TV points so I presume since UPC is pretty much all an ip based service, you'd need a decoder box on each of the tv points and also a totally new phone setup on each of the 3 phone points and if you were to stick on a 5 euro cost on each, it'd knock back the cost savings a huge amount. Does anyone know if the 5 euro a month charge is on the actual point itself or on the decoder box? If so can you buy the decoder box outright at the start and make a saving? Also do each of the old Co-ax wiring points need to be modified or is that largely done externally and it uses the existing wiring in the house?

Cheers for any enlightenment folks, trying to make the right call on things!

John

coylemj

The 5 euro p.m. is for the digital box, not the TV point. UPC will sort out the external wiring and the internal wall boxes, they won't touch the internal wiring. I had a problem recently with my broadband so they lads came and changed all of the external wiring from the duct in the footpath all the way under my drive and up the drainpipe to the entry point on the eaves, they also installed a new wall box, no charge.

There's no option for you to own the box. It wouldn't be a good idea anyway because if you owned it you would have to pay for repairs and you'd have to pay for a new box when it needed upgrading.

You can still pick up the analog channels, even if you have digital boxes elsewhere in the the house, I had a Digital+ box downstairs and was using the analog signal in the bedroom but I eventually noticed that the analog picture quality was progressively getting worse so I went for the basic multiroom package (the non-recording digital box), it's very useful for all the BBC radio stations you get and well worth 5 euros p.m.

I don't have UPC phone because it's not yet available in my area but from what I can see it uses a telephone socket in the broadband router, I don't think the service involves an IP phone i.e. I'd say out of the router it's just an analog phone line. This would need to be connected back into your existing phone circuit, I'm not sure if the UPC signal would be able to feed three phone points.

joconnell

Ah that's brilliant!

The folks use two main rooms for watching tv so it'd be a digibox in each, so it's great news that you still have your analog signal for the point in the occasionally used bedroom and attic. It'll make a huge difference that they aren't actually losing anything by changing service.

I'll give upc a shout about details of the phone stuff but thank you so much for the pointers on the tv stuff.

JDxtra

For the phone you just get your own DECT handsets. Plug the base unit into the UPC router, and the other 3 will connect wirelessly. You'll probably find 4 wireless phones is a bit excessive and be satisified with 2.

paulski999

All,

Was looking at this for my folks, bundle it all together for €60, but am told that UPC discriminate, and that the offer is for new customers only, existing customers have to pick add-ons... so the old man wants record option (replace video recorder) so that comes in at €3.75 per month, and the phone is not an option as they have €ircom phonewatch, which uses phone line... bummer